


Mirage

by Efaya



Category: Naruto
Genre: Afterlife, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Death, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Love, Peace, Second Chances, Spirits, Tragedy, Tragic Romance, True Love, Uchiha Sasuke-centric, ghost - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 17:14:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20763998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Efaya/pseuds/Efaya
Summary: Sasuke knew something was strange.Everything seemed strange.Maybe he was just seeing things?He wasn’t sure, but he was going to find out.





	Mirage

Recent days had been dreadfully slow for Sasuke. His mundane day job had seemed so much worse as of late. He was having a very difficult time finding a will to go to work, to such a level that he knew at some point he stopped going altogether. _It mustn’t have been that important since no one bothered to call._ Instead of attending meetings, listening to nonsense about the constant lack of funding in their department, he had found a more recent hobby of walking around town and relaxing at various parks nearby. He knew he wasn’t being productive, but he didn’t care.

One thing that had kept his interest was the sudden appearance of a woman in the corners of shops, behind trees in the park, and just anywhere you could think of throughout the city. Her short, cherry blossom pink hair was eye-catching and captivating. She seemed to disappear as soon as he glanced in her exact location, almost like she didn’t exist at all. It became a game of sorts to spot the glimpses of pink among grey walls and green scenery.

Returning home after a day of roaming, Sasuke tried to recall ever meeting such a woman. She was beautiful, no doubt there, but she never spoke to him. She never tried to initiate contact with him. He didn’t think she was much of a threat, but what did she want with him? He sat in his small living room, leaned back on the leather recliner, searching his memories for the pink haired beauty. Nothing was coming to his mind, but he remembered something that could help - his photo collection from college. _Maybe she was an acquaintance then? It wasn’t that long ago._ Sasuke stood and retreated to a back room containing some boxes along with a desk and swivel chair. He saw the box in question and placed it on his barren desk. _Was my home always this barren?_ He popped the lid off, taking out bag after bag of polaroids and photographs he developed in college. Many familiar faces covered the photos, but he kept searching until he eventually halted upon seeing pink hair. 

It was her. 

Her green eyes shone as she held up a diploma, grin stretching across her face, accompanied by tears filling her eyes. _She must had just graduated then._ He smiled, touching the photo, then suddenly stopping. He couldn’t recall her name. He could recall her touch, remember a soft voice, her laughs filling his ears, her sobs equally drowning out his thoughts. He could summon up a conversation about tomatoes very vividly in his head, as well as the time they argued over her choice of car. She was proud of the small vehicle - while he was less than impressed with it’s ratings, but he admired her tenacity in earning money for it. Sasuke could feel a deep swell of longing inside of him, but he still couldn’t remember her name. He knew that they were close, **very close**, but the fact that he couldn’t recall her name was extremely frustrating for the young Uchiha. 

The frustration flew front and center as he ground his teeth together. _What the hell was her name?_ He carefully examined the photo, before placing it back down and started pacing. He needed to know. _I mean, how could I forget something so important?_ All he was sure of was that he knew her. **He really knew her.**

With the sun still skating the horizon, he walked back outside hoping that the frigid breeze would jolt his memories back. “It’s too cold for this. I must be the only idiot out right now in all of the city…”

_‘Sas… C… ….You… ...ease?’_

He jumped, startled by the sudden sound. It sounded like a soft voice, a very feminine voice too. He scanned the area, searching for anyone that could bear that voice. A glimpse of pink filled his peripheral vision, but it left almost as soon as he saw it. His anger was spiking.

“Why won’t you just come out? I’m tired of this hide-and-seek!” he nearly growled out his demands, letting his eyes examine every detail around him as his breath remained very visible in the bitter cold.

_ ‘I wan… ...ut… I ca…’_

Sasuke forced his hands down his jacket pockets. 

“Play your stupid games then. I’m going home, you freak.”

…

Sasuke laid in bed, looking towards the ceiling, but his eyes could only see the pink-haired beauty from the photos. He swore he could hear her laughs play in his head over and over again, continuing on repeat. He reached for his messy black hair, letting his hand brush through it as he tried to dig deep into his memories. Only faces and conversations would arise, but nothing that gave away her name.

_ ‘Can you hear me…?’_

His body quickly sat up, searching the room for the voice. 

_ ‘Sasuke… please hear me…’_

Sasuke clutched his chest, swearing his heart must have been racing the fastest it has ever been. The intensity lessened after a few seconds of breathing. His onyx eyes returned to the door, and his jaw dropped from the sight it held.

A petite woman stood in front of his closed door, inside his bedroom. Her hair was short with its pink locks perfectly framing her slender face. The green in her eyes were focused on him, full of intensity in their stare. Sasuke felt speechless as his body moved closer to her. Although he couldn’t remember her name, his body urged him to move to her, embrace her. When he finally closed the gap between them, his arms wrapped around her and gently held her in place. His eyes stung from the incoming tears, but he refused to let her see them. 

_ ‘It’s so nice to see you Sasuke… I feel like i’ve waited an eternity…’_

Sasuke leaned back and looked into her eyes. Tears filled the rim of her beautiful eyes, his hand naturally moving to swipe them away. Her smile was gentle, and a welcome change to his mundane life lately. Why can’t I remember her name…

“I… I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but what is your name?” Sasuke flinched for the incoming answer, but all he could hear was silence. The woman in his arms made no noise and remained as still as a statue. Her smile slightly dropped.

_ ‘I wasn’t really expecting you to remember me in your state… I’m happy you at least somehow recognized me,’ she giggled out and stayed in his arms. ‘It’s me, Sakura.’_

It was like a weight was lifted from his mind. Sakura. He knew that name. Everything made sense now that he had a name attached to her beautiful face. However, new questions arose. “Sakura… why have you been following me? Don’t you have work to do instead of following me around town?”

Her lips slightly parted, but no answers escaped. Her expression turned to worry, followed by sorrow. _‘You don’t remember... Sasuke?’_

He was taken aback by the question.

“What do you mean? Isn’t it weird to stalk people?” he laughed it off as he released her from his arms. Sasuke needed a step back as he tried to evaluate the situation in his own mind first. “Are you okay Sakura? Something is a little off…”

Sakura looked down, returning her gaze to Sasuke after pondering for a moment. _‘Sasuke… let’s go for a walk.’_

…

The air was crisp and frigid for Sasuke. He tied his scarf a little tighter around his neck as they made their way down the city sidewalk. It was late, sometime after sunset for sure. Sakura had said nothing since suggesting they take a walk. Sasuke was worried about her, but wanted to give her a chance to explain herself. She walked in front of him, her pink hair keeping his attention in the quiet evening. Sakura eventually stopped in front of a large building, but it only gave Sasuke more questions.

“Sakura, why the hospital?”

She shook her head, _‘just follow me.’_

They wandered inside, Sasuke confused to why the staff never even gave him a glance. Another worry was how Sakura could just get into any door she walked up to. Sasuke didn’t understand what Sakura was trying to show him, but it seemed urgent.

They finally made their way up an elevator to a quiet floor of the hospital. The hallway was abandoned, no one walking up and down like the lower floors. The only noise permeating the space was the quiet beeping of many machines in the rooms they passed. Sakura stopped at a door at the end of the hallway, turning to clutch his hand tightly. She looked up into his eyes, determination filling them. Sasuke still had no words available to speak, but Sakura did.

_ ‘You cannot run away. I want to warn you about that before we go in.’_

Sasuke swallowed hard. “Sakura, i’m not sure why I would run and I really hope we aren’t breaking some hospital rule right now. This is a little crazy.”

Sakura carefully pushed the door open, ushering Sasuke in quickly. The lights were extremely dim, making it difficult to make out the form on the hospital bed. They walked closer, Sakura clutching Sasuke’s hand so tightly it began to hurt. As they approached the side of the bed, Sasuke’s eyes widened and panic threatened to set in.

“What… What is this…?” Sasuke’s voice was low, merely a whisper as he couldn’t look away from the form resting in the bed.

Bandages covered the body, only leaving parts of its head and upper body exposed. Both legs were raised in slings suspended from the bed’s poles, and many tubes ran their way inside the body. Through all of the tubes and bandages, he could still make out the form, along with its unruly balck hair and easily distinguishable face.

It was Sasuke. It was himself. 

He didn’t know how this was possible, and finally broke the stare to look at Sakura. Tears fell down her face as she stood quietly, hand still grasping his. Her grip only grew stronger as the seconds passed.

“...what the fuck is this?” Sasuke tried to jerk his hand from Sakura’s, but to no avail. She was suddenly even stronger than he could ever remember. His eyes dashed back and forth between the body laying in the bed and Sakura. The only noise filling the room was the slow and steady beeping of the machines attached to the bandaged body. 

Sasuke felt the same strain hit his chest as it had earlier in the day. His free hand clutched his chest, gasping for breath. Almost immediately after, the machines attached to the body laying in the bed started to speed up dramatically. Sasuke glanced at the monitor, barely able to steady his eyes through the pain. The body’s heart rate was skyrocketing, like a heart attack. No way…

“Somebody help him!” Sasuke yelled, turning his head to face the door. Sakura shook her head. 

_‘They can’t hear you Sasuke. No one can.’_

“What are you talking about?!” Sasuke raised his voice, anger seething through his words. “Somebody needs to help him! Me?! I have no fucking clue!” He nearly screamed at the pink haired beauty standing next to him, her hand still grasping his regardless of his words.

_‘That is you.’_

The door swung open, doctors and nurses rushing in to check the body and administer the appropriate medicines. He heard the doctor mention this wasn’t the first, but the second heart attack the patient had today. Then what I felt earlier today…? 

_‘We should leave, Sasuke. I know somewhere we should go.’_

Sasuke’s gaze went dark. “Get me the fuck out of here, and you better start explaining what is happening…”

…

The two resumed their outside walk, the breeze as chilly as it had been over the course of the evening, until they approached an iron gate that was left partially open. Sasuke recognized it, the city cemetery. Sakura pushed it further open, Sasuke in tow with her hand still holding Sasuke’s firmly. His emotions were swirling, confusion and anger at the forefront, but he had no choice but to follow Sakura. He didn’t know what to believe anymore. She led them to the newer section of the cemetery towards the back. 

_ ‘Ah… there it is…’_

They approached a simple grave, accompanied by a small tombstone and a modest bouquet of roses and pink lilies covering the ground in front of it. Sakura finally released Sasuke’s hand, allowing him to move away. He looked down at the stone and even more questions arose.

** Sakura Haruno**

** _ May her youthful soul find peace in the next world_ **

Sasuke swiftly fell to his knees, his mind lost and heart in pain in every sense of the word. He reread the stone over and over again, trying to make sense of an impossible situation. His onyx eyes widened at the reality setting in.

“Are… are we dead?”

Sakura shook her head.

_ ‘I’m dead. You’re still alive. Well physically, but your soul has already detached itself. That’s why you can see me, why we can touch. You have one foot in each realm.’_

Sasuke felt tears well in his eyes.

“What happened...? I don’t even remember anything happening to us… Well I don’t remember much of anything before the past few days…”

_ ‘And doesn’t that come across as odd? Your soul is floating in the afterlife. Once you depart, all of your worldly memories and experiences leave your soul. It’s what finding peace truly is. However…’_ Sakura gestured to herself._ ‘This is what happens when you are not ready to go. You linger. The thoughts and memories of your demise surround you. I have been watching your spirit over the past few weeks. I’m still attached to this world through you, Sasuke.’_

_ ‘I can’t leave until you find peace,’_ Sakura quietly stated as she looked down at her own grave. The constant reminder of her early demise.

“Sakura… what happened to us? My body… Your grave… Something horrible happened…” Sasuke whispered, staring at the grave, remaining on his knees.

Sakura’s hand found itself on Sasuke’s slumped shoulder. She caressed his shoulder, wanting to savor the touch. She recalled the incident from her memory.

_ ‘It was a car accident. We were in my car, going to a nice dinner. You really didn’t want to go to such a fancy place, but I insisted,’_ Sakura giggled, but returned to a sad smile as she explained. _‘You opted to drive my car, and when we were going through an intersection, a car ran a red light and t-boned the car… I was hit and died immediately from what I can tell. When I was able to comprehend what happened, I travelled to the hospital to find answers. Turns out your body survived the crash, but your brain went without oxygen for too long. Your mind is all but lost, even if your body recovers.’_

Sasuke nodded, the explanation rekindling memories he didn’t want. The screams. The screeching of brakes as the other car realized what was about to happen. The loud piercing noise as the car hit them. He could recall the immediate few seconds after as he managed to look at Sakura. The blood was everywhere. Her eyes were open, but no life remained. His body was mangled in the wreck, but seeing her lifeless next to him pushed him into unconsciousness. 

He mind returned to the present, tears flowing freely from his eyes. Sakura sat down next to him and cradled him in her arms. She tried to calm him down with gentle caresses down his back and whispers of love. Sasuke was rattled, now knowing the truth. He turned his head to see his beautiful lover.

“What do I do now...?” he asked, his voice the quietest it had ever been.

Sakura paused before speaking.

_ ‘You need to let go.’_

“But how…? My body is still hanging on, even if my spirit wants to leave…” Sasuke returned his gaze to her grave. He didn’t know how to join her.

_ ‘I think if your spirit wills it enough, your body will follow.’_

Sakura stood up, offering a hand.

_ ‘Why don’t we go visit the old playground nearby?’_

…

They rested on two older, slightly rusted, swings under the moonlight evening. Sasuke had remained quiet since their conversation in the cemetery, his gaze focused on the ground as he gentled swung. Sakura kept her eyes on his form. Her heard wrenched at the sight of her dear lover falling to pieces. She reached out a hand towards him. Sasuke broke his stare to looking at her offered hand.

Sakura gently smiled, urging him to hold on to her hand. Sasuke finally obliged after a few seconds of waiting. His face stained from the tears that kept falling not long ago. Images of Sakura floated through his mind. He kept thinking of their time together before everything went wrong. All of her laughs and smiles filling his empty soul, canceling out all the pain that crawled in over the last 24 hours. She was stuck here just as much as he was. Sasuke wanted to alleviate her pain.

“Sakura…” he turned to face her, staring in the jade orbs that traced his every movement. Her mouth remained in a firm line. She tried her best to conceal her own pain.

_ ‘Yes… Sasuke?’_

His hand gripped hers tighter. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

“I love you Sakura… So much… I just want to be with you. I want to pass with you. I want to touch you and feel you for all of eternity. I’m not scared of dying. I just don’t want to lose you.”

Sakura’s eyes widened, tears spilling from their corners. She couldn’t contain her emotions any longer. Her mouth started to open, but Sasuke resumed speaking softly.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen to us. I can’t say what’ll happen to us once we move on, but if it means even a chance of being with you, i’ll endure whatever happens. Sakura…” Sasuke smiled at his dearly beloved, “You’re the only one for me.”

Sobs came from Sakura, her hand firmly remained in Sasuke’s. She was so sad, but so happy to hear his words. Cries continued from her, slightly clearing up as she tried to speak, answer his declarations of love for her.

As Sakura opened her mouth, Sasuke’s body became slightly translucent. He closed his eyes, face towards the sky, a look of peace filling his face. Sakura realized this was it. He was moving on.

_ ‘Sasuke! Wait, I love you! Please hear me!’_ her cries didn’t seem to pierce his ears as his body faded away to nothing. Her hand fell limp as his hand disappeared from her grasp. Tears continued to fall from Sakura’s eyes, thoughts swirling around Sasuke. She latched onto his image in her head, but she could feel it slipping away. She tried to keep his black, messy hair and onyx piercing eyes in her thoughts, but nothing was sticking. Soon only the name stuck, his image lost to her.

She looked down at her own hands to see them slowing fading. Her tears stopped, a calm, soothing sensation filling her body. It was comforting and worked fast - removing all of her fears. She looked up to the sky, closing her eyes as she felt a wave of warmth fill her very soul, blanketing and enveloping her. Her body quickly disappeared into nothing as her last words travelled on the cold breeze.

_ ‘Sasuke…’_

…

**Many years later**

…

_ A young boy sits on an old, rusted swing as he lets his body sway freely in the breeze. A smile lights his face as he tries to join the birds flying above, but his strength isn’t enough to propel him very high. He runs a small, gloved, hand through his messy hair - black strands getting caught in his fingers. A small growl of frustration echoes from the tiny child. _

_He hears the crunching of wood, the steps of someone entering the small park. The little boy slows his swing down as another child makes their way to sit next to him on the neighboring swing. His eyes lock with the other child, and he freezes instantly. A small girl sits on the swing, almost covering her face with her scarves. He doesn’t understand why, but her sight triggers something inside of him. His eyes water, but he quickly tries to brush them away with his gloves. She smiles, her green eyes lighting up and pink hair starting to fall from her headband in front of her petite face. Her own eyes start to water._

_“Hi... my name is Sakura.”_

… 

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for SasuSaku Month 2019 - Day 28 "Mirage"  
Migrated from Tumblr.  
I hope you enjoy :)


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